Why is the “Vote Different” creator still in hiding? There can only be one reason: the project was funded by a well known Obama supporter, or someone with very close and public connections to the Obama campaign. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying that the Obama campaign had anything to do with it.

But so far most of the discussion of the ad has put up a picture of an independent video person working at home on their Mac in their spare time. But that’s just not plausible. Such a character would be claiming his or her reward right now, boosting his or her career and having a great time doing the media rounds. And, also telling: the ad maker knew exactly what election law lines not to cross, stopping just short of express advocacy. Why didn’t the ad say, “Vote Obama”? So, when did independent YouTube video hackers get access to their own election law attorneys?

This was a funded project, involving lawyers and an ad agency or at the very least a professional video person who’s time is worth hundreds of dollars an hour.

Brilliant! It’s tempting to pull a Carney here (you liberal conspiracy theorists!), but I’ll resist lest this “well known Obama supporter” release 3000 pages of emails next week. Instead, I’ll just make an observation: Almost any time someone says “there can be only one reason,” there is more than one reason. Off the top of my head: Perhaps the maker of the video hasn’t come forward because he doesn’t want to be sued by Apple (who have a habit of suing bloggers). Oh, and the ad might have stuck with “Vote Different” rather than “Vote Obama” because that is closer to the tagline of the original ad. Also, I think the Obama team can’t at the moment afford a “professional video person” (is that a technical term?).